In the Spring of 2022, Peterborough and Area Master Gardeners began a partnership with the Peterborough Public Library to redevelop a garden at the Main Library at 345 Aylmer Street North. Located alongside a walkway on the north side, the existing garden consisted of primarily non-native or native cultivar trees and shrubs with no perennial wildflowers. The objective was to remove some problematic non-native species such as Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush), Vinca minor (Periwinkle), and Hedera helix (English Ivy), and to establish a pollinator garden with native plants. The project was made financially possible with a sponsorship from the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors, Inc.

In collaboration with library staff, Peterborough Master Gardeners selected and planted over 30 different species and close to 300 individual plants in Summer 2022. Species were selected with the soil, light, and moisture conditions in mind and were sourced from GrowWild! in Omemee. The majority of species selected were native with a few near natives of the Nogojiwanong (Peterborough) area. A near native plant includes those that originate from an adjacent ecoregion.

There is a diversity of plants with different floral shapes, sizes, colours, variable bloom periods, nectar and/or pollen to satisfy a diversity of pollinators. Necessary inclusions are flowering perennial keystone plants for this Ecoregion: Eastern Temperate Forests. These include species of the top four genera: Solidago (Goldenrod), Symphyotrichum (Asters), Helianthus (Sunflowers), and Rudbeckia (Coneflowers). Keystone plants support the highest percentage of Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) and Pollen Specialist Bees.

Also included are a number of native bunching grasses which are food sources for certain butterfly and moth caterpillars as well as safe shelter and nesting sites for bees like Bombus (Bumblebees). A number of habitat logs are situated in the garden to support the reproductive activities of pollinators such as Osmia (Mason Bees), and Megachile (Leafcutter Bees).

Native plants are part of our local ecology and are crucial to support native insects, birds, and other local wildlife. By creating this refuge for biodiversity, the garden brings nature into the heart of the city for the benefit of the whole community.

You are invited to click/tap on the arrows on this page to learn more about the plants in the garden and see if they could be right for yours.